PESHAWAR: Collector Customs Collectorate Gul Rahman Marwat has said that the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) cargo should not be stopped illegally on the way to Afghanistan through Torkham border.
Talking to Customs Today, he said that further steps should be taken to remove difficulties in the way of ATT to generate more revenues. “The trade through Afghanistan has been down sliding for the last few years after it reached peak in 2011-12 when it touched $2.5 billion mark,” he said.
The collector said that if the practice of impounding vehicles carrying cargo on the pretext of smuggling is not been stopped it might result in heavy losses to the business community and the trade would shift to Iran. He said that the customs authorities should ensure smooth flow of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan and should not hurt the already fragile relations between the two countries.
He said ATT cargo should be thoroughly checked, then sealed and a tracking device is installed after full verification of the documents to eliminate the chances of any corruption.
In this regard the Directorate of Afghan Transit Trade of the FBR has written a letter to the FC authorities in which it is said that FC was given task of anti-smuggling on December 1, 2010 by FBR through SRO 1090(1)/2010 and the same was withdrawn on July 22, 2014 through SRO 681(1)/2014.
Whenever the services of FC were required by customs, they ask for it in written form under section 7 of the Customs Act, he informed Customs Today during a special talk.
